The multiplayer component of Raven Software’s Star Trek: Voyager – Elite Force is getting a free re-release, courtesy of a community effort coordinated by The Last Outpost LLC, a group of dedicated players of the original game. This has been in the works for quite some time, CBS who own the rights to Star Trek and any spin-off games, plus the original developer Raven Software, granted permission for this kind of re-release eight years ago.
In a statement celebrating the announcement, The Last Outpost LLC said the following:
“2020 is a milestone year. The Last Outpost is 10 years old today, Raven Software celebrated 30 years, and Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force turns 20 this September. Eight years ago, Raven and CBS graciously gave us permission to distribute the game’s code and assets.
We at The Last Outpost are eternally grateful to Raven and CBS for their generosity. In honor of our 10th anniversary, we pass this gift along to the thousands of Star Trek fans who grew up playing this game and loving it as much as we do.”
The game is now free for anyone to download, over at holomat.ch, and it’s available for either Windows or Linux. It’s a modern port using all the original code and assets but designed to play nicely with modern computer systems. Only the multiplayer is included, and sadly there is not currently any way to buy the full game including the single-player, short of tracking down an original disc. Maybe if this free version generates enough interest, that’s something that could happen down the line.
There’s an extremely detailed breakdown of the technical aspects of this new port over here, including support for modern resolutions, enhanced mod support, and revamped input systems. It’s the kind of care and attention to detail that I’d probably have expected from Star Trek fans.
The game itself is set in the world of the show, but I don’t know if it’s a super faithful adaptation. I don’t quite recall any episodes that involved capture the flag deathmatch scenarios, perhaps that’s a nod to The Federations expansionist and colonial tendencies. I also don’t recall Riker ever being eliminated like this shot from the trailer, but it might be a nod to one of the other timelines from the TNG episode “Parallels”.
Still, it looks like a fun enough old school arena shooter. It’s running on idtech 3, and definitely has the look and feel of that era of games, and has more than a little of the Quake 3 vibe going one. Star Trek is notoriously difficult to translate into a video game, where there are so many different layers to the show, it’s hard for any game to encapsulate them all. There’s action, but there’s also drama, strategy, problem-solving, diplomacy, intergalactic travel, and much more. It’s hard to imagine any game successfully nailing all of these aspects, so perhaps simply taking an existing successful template and dressing it up in the aesthetics of Star Trek is the correct approach.
Do you have any fond memories of this from back in the day? Do you have any other particularly favorite Star Trek games? Let us know in the comments below.